#☾⋆⁺₊⋆ {verse} trapped beneath these bones

[witchnordemon]

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ TAG DUMP

[witchnordemon]

Collector did notice how disinterested Golden Guard seemed in what they were trying to get him to talk about, and he quickly began rummaging through his thoughts, thinking desperately for a conversation topic to keep their friend here, when... he announced he should go.

They were prepared to launch into a spiel about all the cool things that they still wanted to learn, when Golden Guard confirmed he would at least be back when he could... which, who knows how long that could be with Philip keeping him busy all the time.

They wanted to fight it so bad. They didn't want him to leave again. But he said he would be back the last time too, and he hadn't lied then. He probably wouldn't lie this time either... hopefully.

❝ Yeah, yeah, lots of... stuff. To do. ❞ He nodded, sulking only a little bit as his shadowed self returned atop his disc prison, prepared to return to the mind-numbing, voidal nothingness of the in-between once more. ❝ Next time, for sure... ❞ They repeated, soon as they saw the tablet cover come into view - as if holding him to his word, ❝ ...I'll make you tell me about mortal stuff and math. ❞

"What, pain . . . ? Yeah, that's um. A thing to let you know something is wrong with your body I think. So you can do something about it. Get a cut healed or something."

He sighed, reaching under his mask to scrub the tears out of his eyes. "Um. Sure, yeah." He sighed again as he dropped his arms and looked out towards the window. ". . . I should go." He looked back at the Collector. "I'll . . . be back when I can. But I need to go. Things to do, y'know." Not that he'd actually be doing any of those things.

He went over to his bag and checked to make sure he had his things packed away, mentally swearing when he saw the stand in there. He'd completely forgotten to put the Collector's tablet on the windowsill while they talked. Augh. Fine. Whatever. He'd do it next time.

He closed his bag and swung it around his shoulder, then grabbed the cloth that went over the disk. "I'll, uh. See you next time?"

[witchnordemon]

They hummed in acknowledgement and agreement - earn one.

❝ Some Collectors do a little bit of everything - all sorts of collector-y stuff, so they stay as just Collectors forever, but... ❞ He paused, ❝ I dunno, maybe I woulda wanted to do somethin' specific? Maybe I could have tried being a Curator, or became an Archivist with my siblings one day. ❞ He shrugged.

Collector then looked up, puzzled, as Valor asked if he wanted his own name, his own identity. ❝ Well duh, of course! ❞ Was their response, laced not with genuine annoyance, but as though it was the most clear thing in the world. ❝ I wanna have my own role, my own... thing, that I do. I wanna earn it so bad. ❞ His voice dropped to a whisper, resting his head upon his crossed arms. ❝ ...even if I can't do anything to deserve it right now. ❞

He nodded at Valor's borderline incredulity, ❝ Yeah, between realms, between worlds. I always thought if one day I get unstuck, I could check it out. ❞ They huffed. ❝ Maybe I could go from Collector to Explorer. ❞

The Collector looked away in discomfort, sighing. ❝ The big ol' dumb guy we're on right now put me here, so I couldn't get to his egg and find the last Titan. ❞ He glanced back up at Valor, crossing his arms. ❝ So that way, I can't win. If I'm between realms, and not on the Isles or even on their planet, I can't do anything. I can't go find the last Titan and finally win the game... but that's cheating, that's bully behavior! ❞ They cried, ❝ I was winning and he cheated 'cause he was jealous, or... whatever. ❞ Collector gestured noncommittally with a hand, furrowing his brow.

Philip was right that the Boiling Isles was full of cruel, conniving beasts who'd trick you at any turn. Collector had spent so many years trapped where he was because of this world's creatures, and it wasn't fair... and it wasn't fair someone like Valor was likely subject to the cruelty of the Isles, either.

...but, they were very glad he was here, regardless.

Valor frowned, but said nothing. Nothing could help that, after all, and he had no words to comfort them on such a thing.

"Earn one?" That sounded more like a title than a name. Especially with the example names given. Were all Collector names titles?

After a long, contemplative moment, he asked, "Do you want one? Whether or not you deserve it." Because if he didn't earn one of those other ones . . . Well, he could take a different name. One that didn't have to be earned. Something from the Boiling Isles.

"Woah- Are you serious? Titan, trapped between realms?" He so badly wanted to ask what that looked like, but it felt like it'd be rude when it was the source of all of the Collector's trouble. "How did you get there?" Trapped between realms, and trapped even within that space so they couldn't even move still.

His ears dipped. He was very, very glad he found them. That he could give them this time to see and do things.

It was no wonder that they were always so desperate to prevent him from leaving.

[witchnordemon]

❝ Yeah, we can travel long, long distances, and collect beings that are close to going away... and find a better place for them somewhere... someday. ❞ He ended, with a touch of uncertainty. Such circumstances were probably rare, but the idea of waking a mortal up from a nice long nap and giving them a perfect, brand new place to play forever seemed wonderful to them. After all, while collecting things was fun, getting to interact and play with them was much better - he'd know, it's exactly how he felt about Titans.

A noncommittal hum was Collector's response to the idea of a "mate", something they now knew Titans didn't have or need. Or did they? Titans could and often would choose to raise their babies with other Titans, even if they didn't need help having the eggs in the first place. Was that... different? Maybe it was - they'd have to inquire more into the topic, it was fascinating to hear all of this new, cool stuff about mortals.

He nodded to confirm Golden Guard's words, ❝ Yep, I'm from wayyy up there, ❞ he gestured up at the ceiling of the room they were in, ❝ I, um... don't remember a whole lot. Just what I said before - the sky, how it never changed, but there were so many stars and planets, and my siblings, and how they collected beings but didn't let me do it. ❞ He huffed, though... recalling and saying all this to someone brought back that similar aching feeling in their chest again. They... definitely missed it to some extent, and their siblings. Although he was always a tad upset at not being taken as seriously as the rest - he would do anything to see them again, for them to come back for him.

The despair that had been welling up in them dissipated at Golden Guard's reassurance. He wasn't going to leave them forever. And he wasn't going to forget about them either. He even - he even said he would come back. Even though he said it could take a while, he promised... and besides, lying in wait for what seemed like eons wasn't something unfamiliar to them in the slightest.

Collector exhaled a breath they weren't aware they were holding in (or that they had the ability to do?) and clasped their shadowed hands, looking at him from their place atop the tablet they would be retreating into shortly.

❝ I promise I won't tell.. Philip, or Lord Belos, or forget about you, neither. I can wait a long time - I'm really good at it! And while I wait, I'm gonna try my best to remember every cool thing I ever knew. I'm- I'm gonna think so hard about everything cool about Titans, and all my bestest stories. And you can tell me all about your favorite beasties, or about math... and I'll listen. ❞

". . . In the cosmos?" How did they even get up there? Were there places out there up in the cosmos that actually had similar enough environments to here that creatures could survive in them?

Aside from . . . that whole confusion, though, Valor seemed to accept their explanation. Ideally one shouldn't take any individuals from a dwindling species in the first place, lest that exacerbate the problem, but if it was for restoration purposes and they could eventually find a better place for them, then that was far better than just collecting them for the sake of collecting them at least.

He listened in fascination as they continued answering his questions about titans. Some of these creatures he knew were old, old species, such as the selkidomus and trash slug. Others he didn't. Ratworms, griffins, and giraffes all existed during the age of the titans? That was incredible. He wondered if they'd at all changed since then. But he didn't have the time to ask any more questions. Next time, maybe. If there was a next time.

"It means . . . Yeah, it basically means being able to lay and hatch eggs individually without the need for a mate." He wasn't going to go into the technical stuff with this kid. That's all he really needed to know right now.

"You're from the stars?" Valor asked, incredulous. Well, if he used to live in the stars that at least made finding where creatures could be moved to in the cosmos make at least a little more sense. Ohhhh he was going to have to ask more about the Collector's species as well when he had the time to.

Oh titan. Okay. Okay. Any uncertainty he had about not coming back was gone just looking at how pitiful the Collector looked right now. He couldn't in good conscious just abandon them like that. Alright, fine.

He wondered what funny word they were talking about though- Oh. The swear. Yeah sure he could teach them that.

"I promise not to forget about you," he told them. "And . . ." he took a breath, "I promise to come back. But," he emphasized, "Lord Belos keeps me very busy and it might not always be safe for me to come here, so it might be a while before I can, okay? But I'll try."

[witchnordemon]

As Golden Guard continued engaging and interacting with him, Collector's earlier panic continued to subside as they realized he wasn't in such a hurry to leave anymore. Still, he didn't want to risk letting a lull in conversation drag on, to potentially offer an exit to this visit up on a silver platter. What if he didn't come back?

...And what was there left to say?

❝ ...Y'know, the littl'uns would get real bad aches in their bones when they started to grow, ❞ He settled on, playing with his shadowy sleeves. ❝ It happened a bunch, because they could get so big, but I didn't ever get it back then, maybe it's just.. another organic lifeform thingy. ❞ They paused, risking a glance back up at Golden Guard before them.

❝ Um, and - maybe you could even tell me more about these mortal quirks sometime? ❞

"I . . . guess?" Valor said cautiously. He didn't exactly know anyone that wasn't mortal, aside from the Collector himself.

He sniffled as he tried to figure out the context to their questions. "The . . . point of headaches, or crying? I don't . . . I'm . . . pretty sure everyone gets a headache at some point in their life but crying-" A shaky breath. "-crying doesn't always result in one."

He didn't feel like talking much more. He was no longer panicking, but he was tired, and he wanted to just go back to his room and collapse. He should work on studying, but he didn't want to do that either. Maybe he could train Hope a little more, though . . .

[witchnordemon]

He waited for a response, unsure if he was going to even get one due to how out-of-it Golden Guard seemed... but lo and behold, he did answer them.

Huh. So it didn't hurt to cry, but it could make you get...

❝ Head-aches, ❞ Collector repeated back slowly, ❝ which hurt. That's a mortal thing too, right? ❞ They continued, half because they were legitimately very curious about mortal being's oddities now... and half because they hoped asking more questions (which he said were okay!) might stall for time and keep him from dashing off on them.

He rose from his spot flush with the floor to again appear upright in front of Golden Guard, raising a hand and tapping the center of their forehead mindlessly.

❝ Does everybody get headaches? What's even the point, if it hurts? ❞

His breath continued shuddering, and he continued staring at them in silence. He was taken completely off guard by this and didn't know what to do.

But . . . the Collector wasn't scolding him for crying, or being weak, or anything like that. The Collector didn't even seem to know what crying was.

And . . . he wasn't sure he wanted to tell him. Not when it would reveal how weak he was for letting himself do it. The Golden Guard, crying? Absurd. No one was meant to see that.

Their second question confused him, though. Who would think that crying hurt? He really did know nothing about this, huh?

He took a shaky breath and said, "Um-" but his voice cracked with the word, so he swallowed down the mucus, took a few more breaths, and tried again.

". . . No. No, it uh- I mean sometimes you can . . . can get headaches afterwards but actually doing it doesn- doesn't hurt."

[witchnordemon]

❝ It's a mortal thing, right? ❞ They prompted again, swirling around Golden Guard slowly as they continued their tried and true method of just... moderately bull-in-a-china-shopping their way through a social situation. ❝ 'Cause I never saw a Collector do it. ❞

He'd seen a few of the littl'un Titans do this before, but never knew what it meant other than being unsatisfied, because either an older Titanling or Papa would come and do something to make them stop.

Hmm.

Hesitantly, they steeped their fingers, and raised an eyebrow.

❝ Does it... hurt? ❞

Valor startled when the Collector spoke, his cries immediately silencing. But his breath was still shuddering and his gaze darted around, trying to find the Collector - before startling again when he found him immediately in front of him on the floor and scrambled back a few feet.

"I-I, u-uh," he stammered.

[witchnordemon]

The Collector continued his sulking, not responding as Golden Guard continued doing that kooky mortal choky-noise shaky thingy. He was prepared to just... wait it out, to sit back and let the Grimwalker in front of them finish his little thing, but... he didn't.

Anger and betrayal changed into annoyance, then to confusion, then to... curiosity? Slowly, ever so slowly, he moved from his place in front of the window and shifted his shadow until he was flush with the floor in front of Golden Guard. Puzzled, they tilted their head, trying to get a look up at the Grimwalker and figure out what was going on. He was still curled up on himself, hiding his face and making those noises.

Finally speaking again from his place on (in?) the floor for the first time since the whole uncomfortable, foreign ordeal started, they hesitated to voice what they wanted to ask.

❝ ...What is that? What's going on? ❞

Valor stood in silence, his breath hitching as he cried, trying to come up with some reason for why they hadn't been outed yet. But if Belos could talk to the titan, he'd definitely want him to tell him if there was an intruder in the forbidden rooms, so if the titan at all cared about telling Belos of such things, why didn't he yet?

Valor had only been here once before, but the Collector had been here for ages. If the titan didn't tell Belos of them . . .

He had no response to the Collector's question. And the Collector was still . . . not quite actually in the way of the window but it felt like it, like he was being blocked, because it would require going near them.

So instead he just fell back against the wall and slid down to the floor, voice muffled by mask, arm, and cloak as he wailed.

[witchnordemon]

Collector froze in surprise, not even sure how to react to Golden Guard's complete demeanor change for the first few seconds. He had been so excited to finally have someone to listen to him, to ask him things, to let him ask them things - and now here he was, with who he thought was his friend shoving all of his things in a bag and trying to flee - Golden Guard wanted to leave - he was going to be alone again.

❝ Wha- Huh- Why, what are you- WAIT! DON'T GO! ❞ They cried, voice breaking, shifting over to the window as fast as they could manage, extending his arms against the walls - like that could do anything to stop Golden Guard from leaving them once and for all. His eyes were wide as he futilely attempted to block the window with his shadow, hyperventilating as though such a thing should even be possible for them.

❝ I thought we were friends! What's going on? What happened- why are you- you can't leave, please don't leave! ❞ They pleaded, sounding far more panicked and desperate than they liked.

"Oh." Valor's voice cracked.

The Collector's questions were lost in a flurry of movement as Valor scrambled to gather together everything he'd brought and shoved it back into the bag.

"I should- I need to go- If Bel-" STUPID, use the title, you're being watched! "If Lord Belos can talk to the titan and the titan tells him about this he's going to kill me. I can't- I have to go."

Oh titan oh titan oh titan he was SO dead- He darted to his feet and extended his staff, ready to leap out the window immediately.

[witchnordemon]

Once again, the Collector was reminded of how he had never been this fulfilled by a conversation in his long, cosmically unfathomable life. So many times, his siblings or those around him simply nodded along to what they were saying to get them to stop talking, or just outright told him they didn't care about his ramblings. But Golden Guard was so consistently interested in Collector's stories and all he had to say, it was incredible.

He was starting to feel like Philip was wronger than anything about Grimwalkers. Or maybe, he just hadn't played with one this nice, ever, but... still.

❝ Oh! They're aware of most stuff going on around them, ❞ Collector began, trying to choose their next words carefully, ❝ I've heard they're able to communicate in different ways, to like... people they think they can trust, or who really understand them. It's not always another Titan, but it usually is. ❞ He thought back to the few times he tagged along with Papa's crew to visit the Titan Catchers' Titan, and Papa and many of the littl'uns had been adamant about being able to talk to him and interpret him.

Though, no matter how hard they tried to focus, to use their admiration for Titans as a starting point, to really believe that it was possible to connect and reach out... Collector themself could never manage it, no matter how long he tried. It frustrated them then, and remembering it again, knowing that Philip could do it, frustrated them still.

The revelation of there being dormant Titans all over this mortal planet caused their resolve to deflate quite significantly. As much as they didn't want to think of it as true, Golden Guard had no reason to fib to him, right? So... that meant that it had well and truly been a very long time, and more than a few of his old friends were likely in a deep, deep sleep now. His expression fell, fidgeting with his hands. If he couldn't even connect and talk to the Catchers' Titan, could he ever hope to talk to his old buddies again? Would they even remember him after all this time? ... Would Philip be able to talk to them for him?

This new development upset him, but now that Golden Guard had confirmed his knowledge of other Titan landforms, they had no reason to hold back from the barrage of questions they had held their tongue on.

❝ So, you do know about dormant Titan lands - when did Belos tell you about them? And, and- exactly how many are there? ❞ He swirled around Golden Guard, sore about the prior subject matter but excited to get answers to things he wanted to know, from someone who outright told them it was more than okay to ask. Maybe, they could even find out which of his friends were sleeping now. ❝ Have you ever visited one? ❞

"Why wouldn't I?" he asked. "Learning all this about titans . . . It's fascinating."

. . . The thought of Belos' lies to the Isles being partially true, of the titan actually being able to hear them, was not a comfort to Valor. What things might he have heard, what muttered complaints or breakdowns in his room did the very ground beneath his feet know about? Was that actually able to relay that all to Belos? His uncle was the most powerful magic user Valor knew of. Could he actually speak with the titan? He'd confirmed to Valor, ages ago, when he was first learning to proselytize, that he couldn't, but . . . Belos had lied about plenty of things in the past. Could this be yet another?

Valor was not on board with whatever shenanigans the Collector might have wanted to cause. His voice took on an anxious tone as he asked, "The titans . . . when they're dormant . . . if they're aware of everything around them, can they- Can they communicate any of that to people living on them?"

They didn't know what happened after dormancy. There had been a titan already dormant with people living on it however long ago it was that the Collector had seen it, and there were certainly no skeletonized titans up and about right now. Titans lived ages ago, in another era. Surely there'd have been some that had come out of dormancy at some point, if dormancy wasn't death. Or at least tales of giant skeletons walking around, or countries destroyed by a titan awakening.

If their hearts were still beating and they were still aware, but none came back up . . . Maybe it wasn't so much dormancy as a very, very slow death.

He'd already begun shaking his head at his question, but then the Collector changed it to a different one, and he had to actually explain his answer. "No fuzzy moving ones, no. Only dea- . . . dormant ones." He was not going to risk making him mad again. "But yeah, there are titan skeletons all over the world, usually with people living on them. I mean, I haven't seen any of them, personally. But I know what countries are made of them." Squint. "I think there's at least one mountain on the continent nearest us that's also a titan."

[witchnordemon]

❝ Well yeah, but I've never gotten to talk and think all about Titans this long! I like to think about Titans when they're all tiny and furry and friendly, not old and bonely and lonely. Besides, ❞ Collector half-shrugged, ❝ I didn't think you'd think about it too much! ❞ They retorted, almost too nonchalantly, far too enthralled with this new puzzle piece to even dwell on this accepted truth; that very few ever considered the implications of things he said. ❝ Ooh, so if Papa's dormant, I wonder if he hears us right now, ❞ They proposed, breezing past the prior thought as they cupped a hand to the side of their head, ❝ disturbing his sleep. ❞

He drew out the last syllable and flashed a mischievous grin, fully prepared to launch into shenanigans, when Golden Guard posed another question - a good one... that, well, Collector once more didn't have the answer to.

❝ I, uh... I'm not sure. ❞ They confessed, puffing non-existent air into their non-corporeal cheeks. ❝ I never met a Titan that old to know what happens way after they lay down. I mean, I did see one before who was almost all bony, but mortal lifeforms were... ❞ He trailed off, not finishing the sentence aloud. Also living on it; the Titan Catchers. They lived on a dormant Titan, too. At that, Collector paused. Golden Guard had never seen another Titan, right? Surely, the Catchers' Titan wasn't that far away that Philip wouldn't bring the Grimwalkers or tell them about it, right? Oh no, were they even supposed to tell him about that? They would have started panicking a bit about letting something like that slip, but... considering the idea actually gave Collector some hope. That if Golden Guard didn't know about dormant Titans at all... maybe they were really rare. Maybe... all of the other Titans were simply archived away. It would be a lot, but they had to have been. There wasn't another option - they got so big, and if it had been so long, all of the Titans would probably be dormant now too - but Golden Guard made it sound like there certainly weren't big sleeping Titans everywhere. ❝ ...You said you'd never seen a Titan, right? ❞ They attempted to distract redirect, uncertain but hopeful. But... Golden Guard knew a lot of things, he was real smart for a Grimwalker. He'd probably know this. ❝ Um, y'know... awake? Fuzzy and running around and playing? So what about other sleeping Titans? Are there any other Titans like... him? ❞

He . . . He didn't even realize that that was a possibility for what could have happened? "I mean . . . You just said that titans become skeletonized when they're dormant, and we live on the skeleton of a titan, so if they don't die then it only makes sense that that's what happened?"

Although. If the titan of the isles was just dormant . . . And they were living on it- him, apparently, according to the Collector . . . "What uh. What happens . . . after dormancy? When it ends?" To be dormant was to pause, rest, with the potential to start back up again. If there was a cycle of titan life where they moved around while skeletonized . . .

Well, that spoke danger for everything currently living on it.

[witchnordemon]

That idea... made him feel a lot better. That Philip didn't tell him, because he just assumed Collector's intelligence and vast knowledge meant he'd already known. It was maybe a little unrealistic, but... ❝ Him thinking I knew... I guess that makes sense. ❞ He answered, all traces of his previous anger gone - content and reveling in the idea, for now, that Philip might assume Collector to be more capable than he treated him sometimes. Because he was smart, and he did know a lot of things, and his interest and knowledge was definitely not heavily skewed towards- ❝ Titan! ❞ They exclaimed, ❝ You're right, that's probably it! He's not "dead" or "dying" or anything lame, he's just dormant! ❞ They tapped their hands upon their cheeks a few times, seemingly invigorated by this train of thought. ❝ If I've really been locked away a long long time, it makes sense he's resting now! He was old, even back when I played with his babies, so - ooh, that makes so much sense! How'd you even think of that? ❞ They asked, turning their gaze back towards Golden Guard with a grin.

"Well . . . Maybe he didn't know you didn't know? Maybe he didn't tell you because he thought you knew."

His breaths were few and far between. Mainly just holding them in unless he needed to talk. Tense. But . . . the Collector was . . . okay? He wasn't mad? Or maybe the apology just worked . . . That was odd. It didn't usually, with Belos.

It was such a quick mood change that it disoriented him, though. What exactly had just happened? He wasn't sure. He had to be careful, though.

Did titans' hearts really keep beating after they were skeletonized?

Tentatively, he asked, "Is . . . that happening with this titan?" Was the heart of the Boiling Isles still beating?

[witchnordemon]

❝ Well... no- ❞ They confessed, a little more honest than usual given that they were flustered, ❝ I mean, he doesn't tell me everything, but usually it's 'cause it doesn't matter - something so big like that matters! And he wouldn't... it doesn't make sense not to tell me! ❞ In the midst of his (extremely confusing) emotional responses, both internal and to the Grimwalker in the room with him, he continued pacing his shadow along the farthest wall, lost in thought and mentally rehearsing how to breach the topic with Philip when he saw him again, when... he noticed silence from the other, and turned his attention back to him.

Hmm. He was doing that ear thingy again, but... did he just apologize to them? Nobody ever apologized to Collector, not for misunderstanding them, or for being mean to them, or doubting them, or being dismissive, or really anything. Golden Guard really was one of the kindest Isles inhabitant they had ever met.

❝ It's okay! ❞ He responded giddily, returning to his previous position; perched atop the disc in front of Golden Guard, all evidence of his previous frustrations seemingly dissolved. ❝ You didn't know, I guess a lotta witches and demons don't know everything about Titans! That's why I'm here. ❞ He continued on with such excitement, an almost 180 degree mood turnaround - as if what just happened didn't happen at all. ❝ Their... yeah, their hearts, they still work when a Titan goes dormant, and the Titan is still aware of what happens around 'em. I never saw another mortal do anything like that. ❞

"The sky was green and the water cold before you met Philip? Are you sure?" He was pretty sure changes like that had to have happened ages ago. He knew for a fact it was already boiling in the Hecktaceous Period at least. The sky he wasn't sure about, though. It'd been cloudy.

Valor's breath caught in his throat, his ears flicking down sharply. Oh, oh no, did he make them mad? Ohhhhh he shouldn't have said anything, he should not have said anything. Titan what was he thinking? He and his teachers didn't have to like each other but if he and the Collector were to remain friends they had to at least tolerate each other! He had to be careful, or he could lose them, and he did not want to lose them.

"Sorry-" he said when he finally got a breath back in. "Sorry."

Though that last part the Collector said . . .

"Their . . . heart? Still works?"

[witchnordemon]

Collector paid no mind to Golden Guard's strange noise (another mortal thing, maybe?), but he absolutely frowned at his very similar thought process - that things had changed while Collector had been trapped... a lot. ❝ But that doesn't- it's not- I don't- ❞ He huffed, pouting and pulling on his sleeves as he crossed his arms, ❝ that's what I was thinkin', but that's not possible - Philip doesn't- he wouldn't... just not tell me about the sky changing, or the water changing, or the everything changing! ❞ By this point, his shadowed form had shifted from seated in front of Golden Guard, to traveling aimlessly up and down the walls; almost like he was pacing. ❝ Maybe it's been a long time. Like, so long, and things are... different. B-but, whatever happened, it happened after Philip got here! ❞ They rambled aloud, almost entirely just to reassure themself, about to posit the question to Golden Guard about when these huge changes occurred... when the Grimwalker in front of them (foolishly) doubted their extremely true and totally unbiased claims.

Oh. No way. They hovered above Golden Guard, a pout scowl evident on their face, they drew in a fake breath for effect, and... ❝ Nnnnoooooohhhh you don't get itttt! You've never seen one! ❞ They whined exclaimed, crossing their arms and traveling the floors and walls surrounding the two as they spoke, in spiral patterns; up and down and around. ❝ They don't die! They really don't! They're not like other Isles creatures! They're so powerful, almost as powerful as Collectors - it's why my siblings sent me to come play, they'd make good friends 'cause they're more like us than the other critters here! ❞ He turned to face the Grimwalker from where he was positioned, his shadowed form projecting forth from his disc to the very back wall of the room. ❝ They become all bones, but they're still in there. They're aware of what goes on around them! They're... their, uh, their- ❞ He paused, thumping the center of his chest soundlessly, ❝ that still works! They're different! ❞

Valor made a noise that betrayed his lack of certainty over the Collector's guess. ". . . Would it really be that far? You can't move in the disc, right? And you'd know if someone took you somewhere else? Maybe it's just . . . Maybe things just changed a lot. I mean, like I said when we first met, Lord Belos once sent me back to slay a bunch of stonesleepers when we found a time pool. I've been to the Hecktaceous Period before and that was a lot different than what either of us know and it was between both of our times. Maybe . . . Maybe the Sparkling Sea is the Boiling Sea, just . . . before it started boiling."

Valor sucked in a breath, the wince clear on his face. What the Collector was talking about sounded a lot like death and decomposition, and death didn't seem to be a thing they really knew much about. Definitely not extinction, at least. He'd already had to explain that to them.

Did he really want to tell them, though?

. . . It was important knowledge. None of his teachers ever cared about his feelings when they imparted knowledge, so he shouldn't let that stop him from informing the Collector.

"Collector . . . I'm pretty sure that's what death is. Getting too old to function and just . . . lying down and no longer moving, no longer breathing? Just being incredibly still? And then decomposing until they're only bones? That sounds exactly like dying, Collector."

[witchnordemon]

The Collector paused, blinking owlishly. Golden Guard was okay, really okay, with the idea of them asking him questions - so many questions (that they currently had in the back of their mind), about what the world was like now, what witches and demons did nowadays, what cool new games had been invented during their imprisonment, what his favorite things to do were, and who else knows what? This Grimwalker was... so nice. Almost... too nice. Was that a super mean thing to think? Were all of the Grimwalkers always this nice, and he had just never met one, and never knew it? Or was this all an act, and Golden Guard would flip from pretending to be interested and friendly, to calling him a petulant child like so many others in his life? Collector didn't want to think about it too much. They would keep an eye out, but... for right now, Golden Guard had only ever been nice to them. Maybe it was an inherent trait of Grimwalkers. After all, no human had ever entertained their request to hold their disk up to a window; to let them see the world outside they so badly wanted to be a part of again. ❝ Well, back in my time, it was only called the Isles, and the sky was green, and the water was sparkling and cold, so...❞ He trailed off, getting antsy at what he wanted to ask, but was scared to know the answer to - what happened? ❝ ...I guess I reeeeaally am far from where I used to play! ❞ He offered, sounding a bit too chipper to be genuine. It was frightening to know that the world he'd come to love as his own was so far away; so different now.

❝ Oh! I mean, maybe? They don't stop eating and growing, until they go dormant. ❞ He answered his friend, sounding genuine (and excited) once more. Oh, how could they have neglected to explain that phase before? It was such a cool Titan fact, maybe even the most cool. ❝ Usually, when a real big and old Titan gets too tired and... old, they find a place to lay down, and they go to sleep. They don't eat, they don't do much... just kinda nappin'! They become all boney, and might they look scary, but they're still there. ❞ Collector explained, gesturing with their hands wildly. ❝ They're kinda like us Collectors. They change, but they don't "die". They don't. Titans never go away forever. ❞

Valor looked up at them as they confessed their similar experiences. And he hesitated, a moment, before venturing, ". . . You can ask me questions. If you want." He liked to talk about the things that he knew, too.

Valor was just as bewildered as the Collector was. How did he know so many incredible things but not know what the Boiling Sea was? "Well yeah- I mean it's the only sea that surrounds us and I've gone flying above on missions often enough to- We're on the Boiling Isles. Surrounded by the Boiling Sea. They share the same name for a reason. I know you haven't really been outside much but you really didn't know this?"

He nodded along to the information that the Collector gave. The incredulity of them not knowing about the Boiling Sea was the push he'd needed to stop fidgeting with his pen, so he was able now to start writing information in there again. "Instinct?" he corrected automatically. That was quite young to already be out foraging. He'd really known nothing of titans . . . It was so cool to be able to learn more about them like this. Even despite all the troubles and misunderstandings they'd had in this conversation that continued to leave him anxious.

Hmmmm which of his many questions should he ask next? "You said they just keep growing. Do they ever . . . grow too big for their food? Like . . . too big for anything to provide any sort of sustenance for them? Or do they die off from other causes before that can happen?"

[witchnordemon]

They sat with curiosity as Golden Guard replied to them, and slight confusion as they watched his ears do that thingy again, which only compounded when he started getting fidgety. Sometimes - rarely, really - Philip got a little twitchy-witchy when he was fibbing, but... there was nothing for Golden Guard to be fibbing about, right? So that didn't make any sense... urgh. They wished mortals weren't so confusing.

Oh. And now he was apologizing to him... and about something the Collector himself had felt before. Huh. He didn't know how to respond right, not really, but...

❝ ... lots of people don't like me asking a lot of questions, either. ❞ He offered quietly, unsure of why it was hard to get out, and even more unsure of why he couldn't seem to find any more words to say afterwards. He was especially grateful when the conversation shifted this time.

Embarrassment (at his assumption of Golden Guard asking something completely different than he really had) was quickly squashed by bafflement. ❝ The Boiling Sea? ❞ He repeated, incredulously. ❝ I've never heard of that. The Sparkling Sea was the sea all around the... you know, most of the land the Titans lived on... the Boiling Sea? ❞ He repeated yet again, as though he couldn't comprehend it, ❝ ...where are we? ❞ He asked, though he didn't give enough time for the Grimwalker to respond initially, as he quickly continued blurting out more of his stream of consciousness ❝ There's a whole 'nother sea out there, and you fell in it? ❞

They clasped a hand in their opposite palm and contemplated for a moment. A lot of mortals' planets had a sea, some planets even seemed to have lots of seas. They'd never heard of the Boiling Sea in all their free time on the Isles... which meant they must be really far away right now from where they'd been sealed away. Where on this planet could they even be?

Collector was (gladly) snapped out of his troubled pondering as Golden Guard started asking about Titans again. ❝ Oh, well - twenty to fiftyish years isn't a long time, and they're not big big yet, but they can go out and be okay if they want to, or need to. ❞ He clarified. ❝ Most don't need to or want to, because they're safer and happier with other Titans, but some of them do, and they're alright if they do. ❞ He shrugged. It wasn't a shocker to know he related to the Titans in many ways, and this was one of them - he was a lot younger than the other Collectors, and missed them a lot of the time, but... well, he had Philip, and now he had a friend in this new Grimwalker, so... he was okay.

❝ Most Titans start foraging when they're pretty young. It's like an.. an.. instick. ❞ They suggested, repeating what they vaguely remember hearing from years and years past. ❝ Most Titans can search for their own food as soon as they can walk on four legs, so... ❞ They looked back down at their hands, counting off a few fingers, ❝ ...two years... five years? ❞ They shrugged. ❝ They can't hunt yet, but they can find bugs and fruit and other stuff. ❞

He drummed his fingers against one another. ❝ ...Titans are really incredible, hardy critters. They can do so many amazing things all on their own from the time they're really little, even though they usually don't need to if they have a family group. But- but they still can if they have to, and that's so cool! A lot of the stuff they do is... it's just instickshual. ❞

His ears perked up, just a little, as the Collector confirmed that he in fact loved questions. Relief flooded through him. "Oh." He wasn't in trouble. He wasn't going to be in trouble, for asking too many questions or irrelevant questions. The Collector was enjoying his questions.

Which then made his ears dip down once again. He had ruined it. Oh, titan. Would they be annoyed at him for that? He pressed the side of the pen tight against his ankles and rubbed it up and down against them, something to deal with the anxiety that filled him.

He did not look at them as he quietly said, once more, "Sorry. I didn't mean to- People don't usually like me asking a lot of questions. I didn't mean to ruin things. The conversation was good." He'd liked it, a lot. It was fun. And then he'd ruined it.

This Philip guy really was losing out on not asking questions, though. The Collector knew so much. He would be an incredible resource of knowledge, and he was very willing to share it. Why not take advantage of that?

As they started to explain what a sea was, Valor looked up at them in offended bewilderment. "What? No, that wasn't- I know what a sea is, Collector. We're surrounded by one, and I've fallen into the Boiling Sea more than once. I've just- I've never heard of the Sparkling Sea before. Where is that?"

The explanation of why it was called the Sparkling Sea was interesting, though. "Don't all large bodies of water sparkle in the sunlight? Is it even more so than that?" It must have been, if staring at it when the sun was at its highest could blind you.

Hm. He no longer entirely felt he was going to lose it if he let go of his pen for too long, but that didn't mean he wanted to let go of it either. He'd have to find some other way to relieve the anxiety then, and those other ways would be way more obvious.

It was fine. He'd just. Constantly go over what the Collector told him so that he could remember it when he could write it down.

Their frown was something he assumed to be related to trying to remember how long it took for titans to become adults, or trying to do math related to it.

"Only twenty to fifty years?" He'd have expected longer, what with how small they started and how big they could get. Though the fact that they never stopped growing . . . That was fascinating. He wondered if they ever got too big for anything they could eat to properly sustain them. He wondered how long they tended to live. He wondered if dying of old age was synonymous with dying of starvation.

He did not ask the Collector these questions. He was still being careful about how many he asked at once, and he still had other, more pleasant questions. "How, um, how long would it take them to forage on their own? Not- Not leaving the nest on their own, but like . . . not needing others to find food for them."